Sounds Good

Tomorrow I’m off to Milford Sound. The place which is usually rated the #1 attraction in New Zealand. I hope I get good weather.

I decided to stay in Queenstown and take a tour bus to the Sound, rather than drive. Once gas and everything was factored in, I was about the same just staying here and taking the tour. Either way, you have to hire a boat cruise to visit Milford Sound, so this way I don’t have to drive in the dark in the rain, plus I get to stay at a hostel with free wireless access all night.

That means all the photos I’ve been unable to upload the last week are getting sent to Flickr while I sleep. I can also burn all my photos from Easter Island and Rarotonga to DVD tonight too.

I’ll be in Queenstown tomorrow night as well after the bus gets back, then on Saturday I’ll start the drive back to Auckland via Dunedin, Christchurch, the ferry and back up the North Island.

I expect the trip back to go much faster if only because I wont be driving on winding mountain roads on the east side of the island. It should be somewhat straight shot both South Island and North Island.

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5 Responses to "Sounds Good"

By Lisa June 1, 2007 - 8:58 am

Milford Sound is fabulous. BTW, if you want to add another spot on your travels in NZ, be sure to check out the Banks Peninsula. It’s not far from Christchurch. Lots of rolling hills. Pretty good sailing, too, if I remember correctly.

By Stephen Hope June 1, 2007 - 2:10 am

It’s a pretty good road up the east side of South Island, a bit windy on the Kaikoura coast but not much choice. If you’re looking for a quick trip north from Wellington, stay on the west coast for an hour or so until you get near Palmerston North, then cut across to Napier. The east coast down near Wellington is much windier and slower (but more picturesque).

While you are trying to arrange flights around the Pacific, you’re correct that Fiji is one of the main hubs. Once you get more to Melanesia, though, also consider Queensland (Australia), PNG and the Solomon Islands, they have some odd connecting flights at times. The Solomon islands is a great place for diving – lots of old wrecks from WW2.

By Trey June 1, 2007 - 1:54 am

Milford sound is wonderful! I took the tour there on the ferry and at one point they put the noise of the boat under a waterfall. If they do the same for you id recomend being on deck at about where the glass for the cokpit is. I got stunning photos from there

By RyQ May 31, 2007 - 3:58 pm

Been there. Loved it. Milford Sound is fabulous, though one has to see for oneself. Well, there’s a good chance I won’t visit New Zealand again in a hurry (where I live, you can buy a good new car for the cost of a 2-week trip), so let me just say this… I SO envy you. For being there. Uh…

Got to your blog via PVPonline, and just had to comment when I read where you are now! I lived and worked in Queenstown for 4 months a couple of years ago at an internet cafe called ecafe, and a pub called the Pig and Whistle (apparently they’ve rebuilt it so it’s nothing like the place I worked at, but there you go). Milford Sound is actually far better if the weather is bad, as the mist/rain serves to emphasise the dramatic scenery rather than mar it and you get little waterfalls springing up all over the place. If it’s raining, or has been, watch for the little waterfalls in the mountain side on your drive to the Sound. Apparently it’s also very striking in brilliant sunshine, but I was blown away the time I went there and it was all misty and rainy.